Just in time for the holidays, Motorola on Tuesday announced that the Moto G is now available for purchase in the U.S., more than a month ahead of schedule.

The 8GB Moto G (GSM version) is priced at $179 off-contract with no SIM lock and an unlockable bootloader, while the 16GB version will set you back $199. You can pre-order it now on Motorola's website, and it will begin shipping on Dec. 2.

Motorola was originally planning to launch the phone in the U.S. in January. The CDMA version Moto G will be available in the U.S. next month through wireless carriers.

The Moto G sports a 4.5-inch 720p display with 329 pixels per inch, which Motorola chief Dennis Woodside earlier this month said "outperforms popular phones on the market" — like the iPhone 5s — for a third of the price.

Like the Moto X, the Moto G features an edge-to-edge display and a curved back. It's protected with Corning Gorilla Glass and a waterproof nano-coating inside and out.

The device runs a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor and will provide all-day battery life, Motorola said. It will ship with Android 4.3, but an upgrade to Android 4.4 KitKat is expected by January.

For those who want to jazz up their Moto G, Motorola is offering 19 customization options, including interchangeable Motorola Shells and Flip Shells in seven colors and Grip Shells in five colors.

The Moto G is also currently on sale in Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Peru, the U.K., Germany, France, and Canada and will "soon" arrive in other countries in Latin America, Europe and Asia, Motorola said. The Google-owned company expects the Moto G to be available in more than 30 countries by early 2014.

About the Author

Angela has been a PCMag reporter since January 2012. Prior to joining the team, she worked as a reporter for SC Magazine, covering everything related to hackers and computer security. Angela has also written for The Northern Valley Suburbanite in New Jersey, The Dominion Post in West Virginia, and the Uniontown-Herald Standard in Pennsylvania. She ... See Full Bio

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